Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The only thing I can control

Over the weekend, after Husband's family left, I spent the weekend watching the Harry Potter movies on ABC Family channel and knitting on Sister's sweater, the Bi-colored Cables.After much counting of rows and stitches, it turns out that the two sleeves were differents widths was because I knitted more rows on one than the other, hence there were more decreases on one than the other.

All the knitting is now done and now I am seaming the sleeves. Then sew up the turned under hems. Oh, I still have to knit the hems of the sleeves, but that shouldn't be too hard.

So as I finish up one project, I am thinking ahead to a new project. Never mind that still on the needles are:1. Sister's sweater -- it may be close to done, but it's not done yet.2. Husband's afghan -- I need more Cascade 22o in Kentucky Blue. However, on a yarn diet until we recovered from the spending from last week. You know how it is, with family visiting, there's more eating at restaurants and more people to feed. And oops, unexpected car issues.3. Lace scarf for me -- using Bamboo yarn from Southwest Trading Company in Butter. It's their simplest wide-bordered scarves from Victorian Lace Today, the one for beginners. It's my portable knitting and I cranked on it for hours during the Court of Women at the US Social Forum a couple of weeks ago. The Court of Women was over 4 hours of testimony on the issues of violence against women, women and girls in the prison industrial complex, and the disaster of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As I listened to horror story after horror story, I knitted on the the scarf. People came and went, and there were tons of other workshops going on that I wanted to go to, but I felt compelled to bear witness to this and having the knitting helped.

Only three projects? Not enough! Must start more!

So I started a simple lace panel scarf using softer than soft Malabrigo yarn (my favorite) in Buscando Azul, an intense, gorgeous blue that I got at Knitch. I only have one skein and am not sure that will be enough.

Then, since I've been listening to Stash and Burn and hearing about their crocheting adventures, have been trying out different crochet projects, using varigated lace weight from KnitPicks in my stash.

Because of the yarn diet, I have been trying to knit from my stash, especially trying to figure out what to do with the one or two skeins of varigated lace weight and sock weight yarn I bought from Knit Picks. Other than knitting lace or socks, I mean. Oh, the perils of buying pretty yarn for which you have no plans.

So the title of this post. There's been lots of stress in my life lately (yes, I know, so does everyone else) and I realize that I have really gotten into knitting because it's the only thing in my life I can control. It doesn't involve mysterious moving parts that break expensively (like the car). It doesn't have it's own agenda that thwarts my own and if it does, like the lace weight yarn not cooperating with a too-big crochet hook, it's easy enough to put down, take apart, start over, or heck, throw away. It certainly doesn't talk back, quit on you, or ask for more money like people do.

Tonight I have a support group meeting. Actually, it's me and some friends who have the same kind of job who get together occasionally to commiserate over some margaritas. The big temptation is tonight we will be mere blocks from my favorite yarn shop, Knitch. And I'm on a yarn diet.

Must. Resist. Temptation.

One way of doing it will be to stay at the, ahem, support group until Knitch closes at 7pm. That's one reason I like Knitch. They stay open later, so those of us who work 9 to 5 earning money to spend on yarn (partially), can actually shop for yarn. I certainly shop on line, but nothing beats seeing and touching it in person.